Russia wants Apple and Google to remove LinkedIn from Local App Stores

Russia has demanded both technology giants to take down the app of LinkedIn from their stores. The professional networking website was blocked in the country last year. The move from Russia is very similar to that of China, who requested Apple to remove apps from New York Times in country’s app store.

Smartphones, either Android or iOS won’t be able to download the application on their phones after the government’s demand of removal of the app from Russian versions of App Store and Google Play Store.

However, removal of the application from the stores won’t be enough to block the access to LinkedIn, given that there other methods, such as VPN.

However, this also means governments like Russia and China have the power to talk to tech giants like that.

LinkedIn Blocked in Russia

Over the past few days, Tech Times has discussed the reasons of why the app was blocked in Russia. In an article, Tech Times said,

LinkedIn, owned by Microsoft, was blocked in Russia after a court ruling claimed that the professional social networking website violated the country’s data laws.

According to the data laws of Russia, websites could only store and process personal information of its citizens within Russian servers. LinkedIn, which had more than 6 million users in the country, did not meet this requirement. According to a spokesperson for Roskomnadzor, the regulatory watchdog for communications and IT, LinkedIn did not respond to requests for the relocation of the professional social network’s servers to Russia.

As such, it was ruled that internet service providers in Russia should block public access to the LinkedIn website.

The removal of such apps is also the reason of growing tension between Russia and USA. This will contribute to more accusations the USA has held towards Russia, and the Russian government has decided not to retaliate to any of the accusations.